Dollhouse: Unorthodox or Unfocused?

The latest episode of Joss Whedon's hit or miss sci-fi thriller Dollhouse has me wondering if the much hyped "sixth episode comeback" is enough to save this increasingly convoluted show. Don't get me wrong, I worship at the house of Joss like any other self-respecting geek, and have the appropriate schwag to prove it. Yet it seems just as Dollhouse reels me in there is something either turning me off or making me say "huh".

Let's start with what I like.

Ever since the sixth episode Dollhouse has changed it's pace from an infuriating slow burn to a quicker pace. The past two episodes we have finally given the audience glimpses into the lives and personalities of the actives before they entered the Dollhouse, and the bits of backstory are refreshing after six episodes of not knowing who to root for. Finally the audience has an idea of who are core group is going to be, Echo, Sierra, Victor, and November/Mellie. The last two episodes have started incorporating the sardonic humor Joss fans have come to love. Topher is by far my favorite character thus far, which leads me to another Jossian (Jossesque? Joss-like?) element to the show- lovely shades of gray, blue and rainbow to our villians. Our villians aren't mustache twirling men determined to tie the poor damsal to the tracks, they have depth, humor, and can be sympathetic.

Plus, shirtless Agent Ballard and the thought of Victor in those spankey pants definite bonus points!

On to what I didn't like.

The first one is a big one, and an issue I've had with Dollhouse from episode one, and that is it's treatment of women. The rape themes made me uncomfortable and seemed pointless in the first few episodes, though they have been significantly toned down as the season has progressed. As a Joss Whedon show I expected complex and controversial female characters, but I feel like all we have seen so far are cookie cutter women who reinforce socitally accepted gender roles. The flat characters were forgivable when the actives were in their doll states, but as some of their personalities were revealed in Needs I was disappointed to find our actives aren't particularly orignal female characters. Sierra is shaping out to be a classic femme fatal, one who consistantly thought of only herself throughout the show and is ultimately "put in her place" by the masculine authority. Echo is a rebel, but a rebel who is impractical, rash, and seems to fail at almost everything she sets out to do. Mellie is the classic nuturer female who lost her reason and will to live with the loss of her child and comfortable mothering role. This is, of course, extreme analysis most likely tainted by the snobbery of an analytical liberal arts education. And a bit hypocritical since I'm STILL enjoying my mental image of Victor in those spanky pants!

But I digress. One other thing that bugged me generally was the juxtaposition between Echo and November/Mellie in the opening scene. I have to celebrate the use of a curvier (by Hollywood standards) woman in a major part, but any positive impact it might have is undermined by Ballard's obsession with Echo, the skinny, pretty, fake fantasy girl.

Clearly I have spent too many hours analysing literature. If you haven't already decided to snooze through this blog I have just a few thoughts on where Dollhouse is going, and does it have a second season in its future.

I appreciated the idea of a slow burn, but television is fast paced and I fear no matter what improvements the show makes it can't make up the audience it failed to initially capture. And even now after the much hyped episode six I feel like the show is too unfocused. While it tries to cleverly reveal backstories without giving any of the actives their memories back the audience becomes restless and questions where is this going? If none of our current actives are going to retain their memories soon then it's time to swing focus on the mysterious Alpha. Alias has already provided a template for how a show like this can be successful, and frankly we need someone to start fighting something. And soon.

So will Dollhouse get a second chance or the big ax? This article seems to think there is hope- http://www.airlockalpha.com/news426236.html. I hope we get to see more Dollhouse, if only so I can see where this is all going!